Soviet

UK: 'Soviet': /ˈsəʊviət/; 'soviet': /ˈsəʊvɪət/

US: /ˈsoʊviˌɛt, -ɪt, ˌsoʊviˈɛt/

US: (sō′vē et′, -it, sō′vē et′)

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Soviet / ˈsəʊvɪət ˈsɒv-/ adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the former Soviet Union, its people, or its government

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

so•vi•et /ˈsoʊviˌɛt, -ɪt, ˌsoʊviˈɛt/   n. [countable]

1. Government (in the former Soviet Union)
   • a governmental council, part of a hierarchy of councils at various levels of government.
   • a committee of workers, peasants, or soldiers during the revolutionary period.
2. Government any similar council in a socialist system of government.

adj. [before a noun]

3. Government of or relating to a soviet.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

so•vi•et  (sō′vē et′, -it, sō′vē et′), n. 

1. Government (in the Soviet Union).
   • (before the revolution) any governmental council.
   • (after the revolution) a local council, originally elected only by manual workers, with certain powers of local administration.
   • (after the revolution) a higher council elected by a local council, being part of a hierarchy of soviets culminating in the Supreme Soviet.
2. Government any similar council or assembly connected with a socialistic governmental system elsewhere.
3. Government, Language Varieties, Place Names (cap.) Often, Soviets. a governing official or person living in the Soviet Union:
   The Soviets have denied our charge.

adj. 

4. Government of or pertaining to a soviet.
5. Government, Place Names, Language Varieties (cap.) of the Soviet Union:
   a Soviet statesman.

• Russian sovét council, counsel, advice, Old Russian, Old Church Slavonic sùvětù, equivalent. to sù- together, with + větù counsel; calque of Greek symboúlion
• 1915–20;

so•vi•et•dom  (sō′vē et′dəm, -it-, sō′vē et′-), n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

soviet / ˈsəʊvɪət ˈsɒv-/ noun

1. (in the former Soviet Union) an elected government council at the local, regional, and national levels, which culminated in the Supreme Soviet

adjective

1. of or relating to a soviet

Etymology: 20th Century: from Russian sovyet council, from Old Russian sŭvĕtŭ